


Butterfly Kisses

by writeyourownlifestory



Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018) Actor RPF
Genre: F/M, M/M, Single father!Ben, Sperm Donation, Theatre
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-27
Updated: 2019-02-28
Packaged: 2019-11-06 16:44:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17943464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writeyourownlifestory/pseuds/writeyourownlifestory
Summary: All dreams come true, even if they take a bit more effort than most. Ben and his wife always dreamed of having a child and thanks to an anonymous sperm donation at the clinic, they were able to do just that.What happened when a single dad meets the biological father of his child?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I generally don't know where this came from. Just a small, silly idea. Quite adorable for the most part. Not my favorite, but I put general effort into it so I thought I'd share it regardless. 
> 
> PS, I hate the description as well as the title. This really is the worst I've done thus far. 
> 
> Have fun!

Ben never thought he’d be a father. His own home life wasn’t terrible, but he always found that he lacked the whole father-figure gene. He didn’t make good decisions all the time and he thought the idea of taking care of an infant terrified the man beyond belief. He had babysat a young cousin once and saying that it felt him shell shocked was taking it lightly. 

He had a few mates who had children as they grew older and Ben watched as they slowly changed into some boring adult who cared only for whatever their kid was doing or watching. Ben didn’t want to lose himself all because he became a parent. 

That was, however, before he met Lucy. They had been friends first, both working for the same modeling company. They had gone pieces together prior, but never really got to know one another until a bigger ad campaign came along. It started off small. Ben didn’t like mixing business with pleasure, so he truly did just want to keep it a simple friendship. 

Coffee every now and then. Sometimes dinner with other friends. They kept it casual. No flirting or hiding away. Ben wasn’t sure what made him fall for her, but he did and before he knew it, he fell for her too. They were young and gorgeous. People liked seeing them together and Ben liked to see them together too. 

They got married when they were twenty-five and it felt like they were walking on air. They weren’t exactly household names, but they continued on working, using their good looks to get by. Ben was surprised when Lucy suggested they have a child since most models feared to lose their livelihood due to their changing bodies. 

Not Lucy, however. 

She had dreamed of being a mum since she was just a little girl. Every time she’d see a pregnant woman, her heart would jump into her chest and each time they’d walk through the park she would want to stop and sit, watching the little kids play. She would speak endlessly to Ben about all the possibilities for them.

A little girl she would dress up. A baby boy he could spoil. Even twins! Oh, that would have been magical. Ben still wasn’t keen on the idea, but he loved to make Lucy happy. And maybe it was wrong, to agree to something for the sake of his wife, but he didn’t care. 

They tried and tried, but nothing came about. Eventually, it got to the point where it wasn’t making any sense. They were young and healthy. How the bloody fuck could they not get pregnant? 

As it turned out, one of them wasn’t as healthy as they had expected. Ben’s sperm count was lower than average. Increasingly so. He had no idea and it baffled him to hear such a thing. He was young and in good shape. He never did anything that could have caused this but apparently, it was genetic. 

It hurt Ben to know that he couldn’t give Lucy what she wanted. They didn’t talk about it afterward. Talk about the sadness that was around them, about the dark cloud that weighted over them. Ben wanted to, but he feared to see Lucy cry. They went on for a few weeks like that. Avoiding the park and pretending like children didn’t exist. 

It wasn’t getting better and eventually Ben realized he had to say something but they ended up having it out in some screaming match brought on by a fucking baby catalog. 

He found the donation center by chance. Different places were for different things, but this place was meant for one thing and one thing only. To help women have a child without the personal assistance of men. Ben knew sperm banks were a thing but had never truly taken them seriously. 

Except for now obviously. Now there was a reason to take them into consideration. Lucy wanted to have a child. Her own child. And while she had confessed to Ben that she knew it was selfish since there were so many children out there who didn’t have homes or families, it was what her heart wanted. 

At least for the first time. 

They had gone for a consultation. Just to talk and check it out. It was easy enough. They look through the profiles and decide on who they wanted. There were no names or pictures. Just descriptions and little things like blood types and horoscopes. It was quite fun actually. Like building up their own boy. 

An infant version of build-a-bear more or less. When they made a decision and set up the appointment, it felt like their world was finally beginning to turn again.

Ben thought he would have been jealous of Lucy carrying another man's baby, but he wasn’t. Not in the least. This child would be his in every way, whether it was biological or not. It would be part of Lucy and Ben loved Lucy enough not to care about the other 50% of the genetics. So long as it was happy and healthy, that was all that mattered.

The entire pregnancy was a literal joy. Despite the sickness and changes, Lucy was walking on cloud nine. She had even snagged a few jobs while pregnant. Lucy was the most beautiful woman in Ben’s eyes but seeing her swell with a child inside of her brought out a whole new level of perfection.

Their daughter was born on a sweet summers morning. A small, pretty thing with dark hair and light eyes. They had gone over dozens of names, finally settling on one. Delilah. It didn’t come from the Bible or some song. To be honest, Ben didn’t remember where they found it but it fit the tiny girl perfectly. 

They brought her home and everything was wonderful. It was tough at first. They had so much they had to get used to. First time parenting may seem like a dream but the reality was still real. There were endless nights and lots of crying. Sometimes Delilah didn’t want to eat or didn’t want to sleep. 

They made it work. They struggled through it all and handled it well enough. It got easier over time and Ben had never been so happy. His little family was all he needed. Gone was the young fool who just wanted to be number one and have his picture high up for the world to see. 

Coming home to Lucy and Delilah quickly became Ben’s favorite thing to do. And while they still had hard times ahead, he and Lucy handled it with ease. They were together in this. 

Until they weren’t. 

Ben was home with Delilah when he got the news. Lucy was away for a shoot and there had been a massive collision on the road. Cars slammed into one another, trucks got rolled over. Fires were started. Even an explosion. Seven people lost their lives. And one of them was Lucy.

It didn’t feel real, finding out that he was a widow. He didn’t believe it at first. Why would he? He had just spoken to Lucy that morning. They FaceTimes with their daughter sitting on his lap. She was just a few months old. She could sit up on her own and babble every now and then. She smiled when she saw her mother’s face and squealed with excitement. Lucy was getting ready to come back after a week-long shoot. They’d be reunited. 

Except Lucy didn’t make it. A few days later they buried her and Ben still hadn’t taken it all in. After the ceremony, when Ben was alone and Delilah was crying in her crib, he found himself frozen. He sat on the floor, unable to move or do a single thing. His daughter cried out for attention, to be held or fed or changed. 

Maybe she was crying out for Lucy. Maybe she wanted something that Ben could not give. He just didn’t know. He cried along with her, feeling sicker and sicker as the days went on. He did his best but he was nothing compared to Lucy. 

She was the real parent. Everything Ben had done was with her influence. He felt terrible knowing that she was gone and he was left with no idea how to be a good father to their child. Only when Delilah’s life was in danger did he snap out of it. She had fallen back one afternoon and smacked her head against the hardwood floor. 

Her cries were louder than anything. He brought her to hospital and while the nurse insisted she was fine, he wanted her checked and double checked. The nurse just smiled and did as he asked, running every test possible. 

As it turned out all she needed was a bit of affection and Ben was smacked back into reality. Lucy was gone but Delilah was still there and he did what he could. 

He was a single father and he made the best of it. He wasn’t perfect but he didn’t want to be or even need to be. Delilah loved him anyway. 

He made sure to be there as often as ever. His goal was no longer to be the number one model but rather just make enough money for them both to live happily. He didn’t hire a nanny or pass her off to someone else. If he traveled, so did Delilah. And as she took her first steps and said her first word, Ben was there.

And he knew deep down that Lucy was there as well. In the wind and the sun and in Delilah herself. 

Delilah was two years old when the news broke out. They were sitting at the table eating breakfast, casually enjoying the morning when the report came on the tv. The sperm bank that they had gotten their sample from had been hacked into and all the information was leaked to the public. 

The people of the internet did their job and connected whose profile went to who and while Ben knew it was wrong, curiosity took over and he went to the website. He scrolled and scrolled until he found the profile that he and Lucy had chosen for their baby girl. 

There was a name this time. Joseph F. Mazzello. 

Ben didn’t know how it was possible, but he guessed despite it being anonymous they still needed some bit of information for each multiple donations. Ben didn’t know how often Joseph Mazzello donated or if anybody else had used his sample, but that didn’t matter.

He did and the product of it was sitting across from him now, happily eating her strawberries and giggling at the silly faces her daddy was making.

He didn’t know what to do with their information. He thought about deleting it, about forgetting about it. Joseph didn’t want to be known to the public. He donated to keep his personal life at bay and he deserved that. 

But Ben had always been a bit of an asshole and sometimes, even now as a parent, didn’t make good decisions. 

He looked into Joseph Mazzello and found that he also worked in the arts. He was a writer, currently working in New York. He had a play that was in rehearsals off-broadway. It wasn’t huge, but it had a growing fanbase. 

And Ben just so happened to live in New York. 

He and Lucy left England long ago. It’s where the work was. When she died, her parents requested bringing her back and having her in their family plot. Ben wasn’t going to argue with them. He hated being so far away, but at least she was with those who loved her. 

Ben didn’t realize what he was planning until he was out of the house. He had his usual sitter come and watch Delilah as he went for a walk. He told himself it was just a walk, but he knew otherwise. 

An hour later he was outside the theater, across the street looking on. He smoked cigarette after cigarette, trying to calm his nerves. He tried to keep calm and while he knew his wife would have kicked his ass if she saw him with the cancer stick in his hand, it helped it a bit.

When Joseph Mazzello finally left the theater, Ben started choking. He was there, in person. Speaking to someone else. A crew member baby? It was the first time he saw him in person, not in pictures. 

In pictures, he could see the resemblance to Delilah in his hair color and smile. Ben was too far away to see him up close, but he didn’t care. It was enough for now. 

Ben would do this often. Stand outside the theater and just wait for Mazzello to leave. He felt creepy, like an odd stalker but he didn’t care. It got the job done and left him satisfied. 

One night after rehearsals let out, Ben was making his way back home when he heard his name called. He turned to see an old associate, Gwilym, making his way down the street. They had worked together on several runways back in England and it was refreshing to see him again after so long. 

He kept the talk small and quick and Ben was about to head out when Gwilym decided to introduce him to a friend of his. It seemed Gwilym ended his modeling career and had been focusing on acting. Currently, he was on an off-broadway play, written and directed an up and coming name. 

“Hey! I’m Joe,” The man offered his hand for Ben to shake. He did so but felt more robotic than anything.

“Ben.” He replied quietly. 

Gwilym explained their friendship and Joe listened contently but Ben just kept staring. He had been watching the man for days now and here he was, unclose and personal. 

“You should check out rehearsals sometime. I’d love to have an outsiders point of view before we open.” Joe offered. 

Gwilym eagerly agreed and so did Ben reluctantly. He never planned to interact with the man but now he was left with very little choice. 

Well fuck.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yaaaaay same day post! 
> 
> I just finished writing my next piece and I'm too anxious so I am adding the second chapter of this one up. 
> 
> Hope you like it!

Ben tried not to think anything of it when he arrived at the theater a few days later. He decided to use this as a chance to get up close and personal with the man. To figure out his ticks and mannerisms and see what Delilah had picked up despite not knowing Joe whats ever. It was as simple as that. One meeting, one hangout, and then he’d never come back. He’d move on with his life and pretend none of this actually happened. 

The cast and crew were small; only around ten people involved. Joe wrote the play and was directing it as well and was more or less taking over as the role of stage manager. They were given a chance to have the play go on here and if it did well then they’d move up. Bigger budget, bigger theatre. It was going to be good for them, but they had to get it right.

Gwilym was the lead and there were only two other actors as well. It was a small production altogether, but it had a big meaning and a lot of heart. Another man named Allen and a woman named Priya arrived shortly after and the three got on stage and began working their parents. Each character was connected here and there and was carefully woven into the story. 

Gwilym played one sole character while the other two took on other roles. Family members and friends and lovers. Sometimes it was just off stage vocals, while other times it was a whole wardrobe change. Ben was curious to know what it would look like when they were all finished. 

He sat in the back, focusing back and forth between the scenes as they played on and Joe’s direction when it came. He was very serious with the task at hand so Ben tried his best not to get in the way. Eventually, he found himself moving closer until he was seated just a few seats away from the man. 

He watched him carefully, trying to pick up little things. Which hand dominated, if he had any ticks or jitters, things like that. Ben guessed he must have been staring because eventually Joe’s head turned and he was looking right back at him. 

“It can’t be very good if you’re entertained with watching me instead of them,” Joe called him out carefully, almost casually. 

Ben stuttered with an answer, trying his absolute best not to say something stupid or just blurt out his reason for coming. 

Joe waved him away, tossing his script onto the seat next to him. “It’s fine. I’m getting bored too.” Standing to his feet, he shouted for the three on stage to take lunch. He turned back to Ben and gestured to the door. “Come. Walk with me.” 

Flabbergast, but curious Ben followed in suit. They grabbed a coffee from a place down the street and Ben allowed the man to vent. Apparently, the story had been building up for some time now and when he finally wrote it, he never expected it to happen on stage. Joe dreamed of film and the big screen but this was a chance of a lifetime despite the situation being far different from one might expect. 

They were working their asses off and Joe believed in himself and the cast, but there was still a lingering of a shadow of a doubt.

Ben offered as many words of wisdom that he could while also staying realistic. If it didn’t work out then it sucked but there was no point in dwelling on it. Joe just had to focus and keep moving forward. If it was meant to be then nothing in the universe would stop him. 

Joe seemed to like this advice and took it to heart, inviting Ben to come back a few days later. He liked having someone to talk to, someone from the outside only peering in. Ben came and watched again, this time watching as Joe made little changes here and there. It was exciting to see people doing their job and how a play could come together. 

He had taken Lucy to the theatre a time or two and while it had never really been his thing, Ben could still admire all the hard work that came from it. All the blood, sweat and tears that went into production. 

Ben also had to admit it was nice to interact with people outside of his workplace. Models were great but most of them were too focused on their career path and their diets and what not. They weren’t all brainless robots but they also didn’t have much personality to work with. 

Every now and then he’d get lucky and have a bit of chemistry with one of the people he was supposed to be working with but he never made friendships out of it. He went to work and then went home to his little girl. 

He was lucky to be in the field he was in. A few hours a day, a handful of days a week. He kept himself busy but he also allowed himself a bit of downtime. He didn’t want to miss out on anything Delilah was doing even if it wasn’t much. He would be there for her dinner time and breakfast. He would put her to sleep and take her to the park on his days off. 

He may not be the best father in the world but he was constant and that was all that mattered. 

He struggled to reveal parts of himself to Joe, fearing he may just wind up blurting it all out. He went out every now and then with Joe and Gwilym. Out to dinner and whatnot. He didn’t go to bars and clubs. It wasn’t his scene. 

He was too old for that now. He was a father. He watched Bubble Guppies and Daniel Tiger. Dancing on the dance floor to the latest pop song wasn’t an option for him anymore. 

Joe had found out about Delilah by absolute chance. Ben was playing on the grass with her at the park, wanting her to have a bit of fresh air for the time being. They were just sitting and clapping, eating some snacks when Joe appeared in the distance. He walked over before Ben could make a move and the blond was forced to handle the situation as well as he could.

He introduced the two, which was amusing on its own. At the age of two, Delilah could speak well enough and she gave a tiny little hi to Joe while showing off whatever toy Ben had packed for her to play with.

Joe was an absolutely lush and while the two together should have been a strange nightmare for Ben, it turned out to be a rather adorable dream. Joe was good with children. Far better than one might expect. He excused it as being a good uncle but Ben could see more.

The way he interacted with Delilah and how he put all his focus on her reminded him so much of Lucy. Joe was the type to want children, to want to be a father. And there he was, unknowingly playing with his own daughter. 

Ben would have run if he could, but he didn’t. He stayed and carried on the conversation until the two men went their separate ways. A few days later, when they were leaving the theatre, Joe questioned him. Gwilym had mentioned a few things but he didn’t go into full detail. Joe also didn’t want to pry but he was curious about Ben’s situation. 

Ben started out slowly but eventually revealed it all. Lucy was gone and he was a single parent. He came from England to keep a steady modeling career to provide for the little girl. He never thought he’d be in the situation he was but he wouldn’t give up his time with Delilah for anything in the world. 

Joe confessed he had only heard one person speak about loving their children so much and that was his own father. Ben knew enough about the man and never asked him for more. It was a touchy subject and Ben didn’t want to make Joe relive all the heartbreaking memories just to keep him up to date. 

When they went their separate ways, Joe ended the conversation saying he always hoped he would be a great father one day, just like his own dad and Ben was left in the dust with his heart breaking into pieces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So tell me what you thought. Adorable? Terrible?
> 
> Btw nobody is gonna call me out for naming Lucy/Ben's kid after Freddie's fucking cat?


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright here it is! Final chapter. I hope you all like it.

It was a week before opening night when disaster struck the stage. Allen had been late to rehearsals every now and then and finally dropped the ball on the group that he had been given an opportunity back in England. A TV pilot he shot sometime last year had been picked up by the BBC and this was his big break. Neither Joe or Gwilym could blame him but it sucked repeatedly.

They didn’t have understudies. Not really. Allen and Gwilym switched back and forth with their roles and Priya was more or less on her own. Despite the role being meant for a female, Joe had taken it into his own hands to take the role if need be, though the woman was as professional as ever.

When they realized they weren’t going to have a third person in time Joe panicked. Gwilym had suggested he take the role but Joe refused. How the fuck was he supposed to direct it and be in it and basically manager the whole thing while on stage the entire time.

Thats when he turned to Ben and did the unthinkable. Ben never acted before. Ever. Not even in school plays but Joe was desperate. Just until they could find someone else to take the role, he practically begged the man to step in.

Ben was reluctant. He had a child at home, he couldn’t live on a broadway schedule, but Joe merely reminded him this was off broadway. Six shows a week. That was it. And all they needed was time to find a replacement. End of discussion.

Ben wanted to refuse and nearly did until he remembered his own little secret. Without even knowing it Joe had given him the best gift in his life and now this was the chance to repay him.

They had a week to get used to him being on stage. To his surprise he didn’t even need a script. He had helped Gwilym run lines a time or two and more or less memorized it all just by sitting in after so many rehearsals.

When opening night Ben felt like he was going to puke. He was glad to know that he worked off Gwilym well enough and even when they were scenes when they had to fight and cry and kiss depending on which character he was supposed to be representing, it all worked out during the trial runs.

Joe had told him to break a leg and when the current went up, everything was on the line. To his surprise, it went off without a hitch. He was nervous; hell they were all nervous but they just followed their practicing and made it from beginning to end without issue.

When they were finished and the bows were over, they went out to celebrate. Ben’s sitter agreed to stay for another two hours giving him the chance to really get involved. Joe was walking on air and kept ordering drinks and dancing on the floor of the dive they had gone into.

He was bashful and adorable and Ben didn’t stop when he was pulling along with him. They danced without a care and had a fantastic time. When Ben was heading home, Joe walked with him. They were smiling and laughing, with Joe swearing to kiss Ben’s feet from now until eternity for doing what he did.

When they got to where they were supposed to go their separate ways, Joe didn’t make the move to leave. He just kept smiling and laughing and as he got closer, Ben knew what was going to happen. He had the chance to stop it, but he didn’t. He allowed Joe to kiss him, to smile against his lips with pure joy seeping through him.

When Joe pulled away, Ben licked his lips and cleared his throat. Rather than kissing him again or speaking, Ben just turned the corner and went home.

They didn’t talk about it the following day. Or even the next. They didn’t bring it up until their last show before the day off. Reviews were coming in and people were pleased. Gwilym was happy and Priya was pleased. Joe was walking on air and he used the chance to apologize to Ben.

He understood why they shouldn’t do what they did. They were in a professional setting now and Joe down right refused to get involved with a costar or anything or the sort. Business and pleasure never mixed well and he couldn’t jeopardize the show in case something went wrong between the two of them.

Ben knew the real reason why they shouldn’t have done anything. The secret he had yet to confess to Joe even though he should. Or maybe he shouldn’t. He wasn’t involved and he didn’t want to be. That was the whole point of an anonymous donation.

Joe rambled on about sexualities and not knowing what Ben was. Apparently Joe had fallen for too many straight men and he was laughing about it now; bitter and sad. Ben had a wife, had a daughter but he wasn’t straight. He never has been. He fell in love with a person who happened to be female but that didn’t define him.

He wanted to tell Joe that, but he never got the chance. The brunet cut off the conversation and promised that they’d stay as professional as humanly possible before leaving Ben in the streets alone.

They worked another month, growing a bigger following and despite their growing feelings Ben and Joe kept themselves at bay though his heart continued to patter each and every time Joe was close to him. He didn’t know if it was due to their previous connection or Ben was finally beginning to feel something for somebody since Lucy.

It wasn’t until another disaster came along that Ben finally made his decision on what to do. They were at the theatre before a show when he got a call from his sitter. Delilah fell into the coffee table and was bleeding badly. She took the infant to the hospital and Ben rushed to meet them there with Joe in tow. Gwilym and Priya agreed to handle the show on their own despite a character not being involved. They’d figure something out one way or another.

Delilah was all right but scared. She wanted to be held by her father and didn’t cry often when they sat in the hospital room. She was clutching the plush dinosaur toy that Joe had given her because thats just the type of person he was. Whenever he’d be around the girl he’d doat upon her endlessly and eventually began showing up with little gifts.

He never overdid it. Always focused on Delilah and what would make her smile. Even when she was sitting there, waiting for stitches, he was speaking softly and making her laugh. Ben’s chest felt like it was going to burst open.

Joe was holding the paperwork while Ben held the baby, letting the doctor fix her up. Ben signed everything he needed and Joe, trying to make conversation, mentioned casually that he and Delilah were the same blood time. It was this comment that set him off.

“I have to tell you something.” Ben told him seriously.

They returned to Ben’s loft and after putting Delilah to bed, tucking her in tightly with her dino by her side, Ben let it all slip out.

How he was Lucy fell in love and how she wanted a family. How he was stricken with a low sperm count and no matter how many times they tried, a baby just wouldn’t come. How they could feel their relationship ripping at the seams until they finally found a solution. Finally found a miracle.

Joe didn’t understand at first until Ben told him about the hacking and release of information. The man’s eyes widened excessively and he muttered on about how the site had been taken down as quickly as it had been posted.

Ben confessed that he had a strong memory, reminding him how quickly he learned his lines. All he needed was to read over it once and it stayed lodged in his head.

Joe was baffled, beginning to pace back and forth. He couldn’t fathom how that beautiful, funny, adorable child inside sleeping was his own flesh and bloody. He stormed out of the loft, leaving Ben in the dust.

When he returned to the theatre the following day, Joe wasn’t around. He called and said he was ill and had his friend Tom Hollander focus on directing and managing for the time being. Tom would be involved if they were given a bigger stage on Broadway and he was a wonderful person to work with. He just wasn’t Joe.

When the show was finished and Ben made his way back to his place, he found Joe sitting on the stoop of his complex.

He began speaking as soon as he saw him, explaining the situation. He was young and when his dad got sick, they couldn’t afford the best doctors. Joe got desperate, willing to do whatever he could to save his father. When he sold his sperm, he told himself it was for a good cause. He would get the money and if anybody actually chose his donation, then they would get a family out of it.

In the end, his dad got better treatment and while he still died, he was at least given the chance to live a little bit longer and put up a bigger fight. Joe was left with no regrets.

He never thought about the repercussions of it. Never thought of what would happen if he passed on the gene that made his father sick and never thought about what it would be like to see his child for himself.

This whole time, he had visited Delilah and played with her and bought her little toys and things. He never saw the connection. How Delilah was showing signs of being lactose intolerant, just like himself. How they both loved strawberries more than anything else in the world and how they could both just sleep anywhere.

There was so much Lucy in her too, but looking back, noticing little things here and there, it was all Joe.

Neither man knew what to do at this point. They had a show to do and so much was on the line. They had pushed away their feelings for one another in an attempt to stay professional but now the truth was out there and both men felt more lost than anything.

They were at a crossroad with no true direction.

Ben had decided to make the first move, to involve Joe into their lives. The brunet was hesitant, but he couldn’t deny how much he adored the little girl. It started off small. Going to the park together and being involved with ‘daddy and me’ time. He never wanted to interfere, insisting that Ben was her father through and through.

Ben knew what was true, but he wanted Joe to be involved. Having more people to love and care for Delilah wasn’t a bad thing and to his surprise they both agreed on a lot. No to certain foods and yes to working on development.

Joe would read to her and watch certain movies that he wanted her to see. She was still so little bit she had a long way to go. She was a smart cookie and there was no denying that Joe loved her endlessly.

He would stay over some nights, sleeping on the couch so he could help out during the night. Delilah slept mostly through but sometimes she’d wake, wanting attention or a change. Joe took to being a side parent rather well. Far better than Ben had been in the very beginning.

He grew used to having someone to rely on and he was happy again.

They were picked up for Broadway and needed to focus on fixing the little things. Broadway meant a large stage, a bigger crew. Joe didn’t need to do everything on his own anymore, but he still tried to.

The original cast, counting Ben, was making the changes. They could afford understudies now. They could afford real costumes and not the shit they had gotten at Good Will. It was real and it was happening and Ben couldn’t be more proud. Seeing his name up in lights.

Not his face or his body, but his actual name. B E N H A R D Y for all the world to see. It was light changing.

During that time, Ben took the chance to visit England. Joe stayed behind to focus on work while Ben and Delilah went to visit his family as well as Lucy’s, as well as where Lucy was buried.

Delilah didn’t understand but she said hello to mummy when Ben told her to. They planted flowers and Ben spoke softly to her, explaining how much he missed her and how she was always going to be the spark that brought him the light of his life.

He spoke of Joe and knew deep down that Lucy would be happy. Not only for him but for Delilah as well, for now she had two amazing men to care about her. The little girl with beautiful eyes and dark hair deserved nothing but the world and Ben couldn’t think of anybody else that could give her just that than himself and Joe.

When they returned home, Joe was there at the airport to pick them up. He let Delilah go and she ran right into the man’s arms. It was a heartwarming scene to say the least. They went home together, back to the loft so Delilah could show Joe all the things they had brought back.

The following day, they celebrated Delilah’s third birthday together. It was a huge milestone for them all. The previous two celebrations, Ben had been on his own. Without someone to help him, without someone to care for him just like he cared for Delilah.

The toddler had a dino themed birthday party thanks to Joe’s doing and despite having more presents than she knew what to do with, the only thing she cared about was sitting beside Joe and letting him read to her.

It was a beautiful scene, one Ben had sneakily captured on his phone without the other man noticing. He quickly saved it as his home screen, knowing it would be an image he wanted to see more often than not.

It was late when the little girl finally went to sleep and while they were sitting on the couch, Joe made he notion to leave but made no movements. Ben shook his head and instead took the chance to do what he had been thinking of doing for a long time now.

They had worked so hard to keep one another at bay, for their sake and then for Delilah’s, but Ben did want that anymore. He didn’t want to keep this beautiful man at arms length anymore.

He kissed him without fear or worry. It may be complicated but it was worth it. The little girl was sleeping in the next room but they didn’t mind. They could be quiet. When morning came and Delilah woke, she crept into her father’s bedroom. She snuck under the covers and found a place between Ben and Joe, her toy dinosaur snuggled against her chest.

Ben and Joe woke with her movements and welcomed her into their little nest. The small makeshift family fell back asleep together, more happy and whole than ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think? Not exactly my usual story but I have to admit I don’t hate it. 
> 
> I have two more things coming for you. After that, who knows. I always say I am gonna stop but then I just keep going. This fucking ship owns my. 
> 
> Please leave your comments down belong and tell me what you thought. Interacting with you all makes this worth it.

**Author's Note:**

> So, was it terrible or what? 
> 
> It's super short, just about 3 chapters, which I'll post daily. 
> 
> I do have something else planned after this, but even that I am pretty unsure about. We'll see!
> 
> Lemme know what you thought!


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